Is Prison Oversight Succeeding?

June 19, 1992|The Morning Call

Building a prison is one thing. Running it is another. Lehigh County Corrections Director Richard Klotz oversaw the building of a good prison. Serious questions, however, are arising about his ability to oversee its operation.

Perhaps part of the problem is that Mr. Klotz had no penal experience before his appointment to succeed former director Glen

Jeffes a year ago. Mr. Klotz is a former county commissioner who became a deputy fiscal officer in 1984. At the time of his appointment as Mr. Jeffes's successor, Mr. Klotz was project manager of the prison's construction. County commissioners, citing his intimate knowledge of the prison's facilities, unanimously confirmed his appointment.

That was a year ago. Now the county commissioners are coming to grips with the reality that a prison is more than concrete and steel. It's people. And managing people --especially criminals -- is a lot different than managing construction.

In the last six months, two prisoners escaped from the old prison. Last week there were two fights in the same cellblock in less than 24 hours. Four corrections officers were hurt in the first altercation. Fifteen hours later, Mr. Klotz lifted a lockdown and allowed the inmates to see visitors and receive goods from the prison commissary. Early that night, a prisoner with AIDS was beaten by fellow inmates who suspected him of being a snitch. Mr. Klotz claims the incidents were unrelated.

But County Commissioner Jane Baker says prison guards are becoming afraid for their safety because of the way these situations are being handled. There is concern that inmates are being sent the wrong message -- that incidents like these are expected and not considered serious. Mr. Klotz has made this clear with his own words.

By his own admission he has also made clear that he wasn't aware of state regulations requiring him to report such outbreaks to the state Corrections Department.

Last year, Commissioner John McHugh raised the question of whether the county should abolish the position of corrections director and put a strong warden and deputy warden in charge of the prison. Perhaps the time has not yet come to do that -- construction of the prison's fourth tower still has to be completed and Mr. Klotz should see that job through. But it may be wise to consider putting prison management in the hands of penal professionals.